Is skin picking the same as trichotillomania?

Trichotillomania (hair pulling disorder), and Dermatillomania (compulsive skin picking), are two of the many Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors (BFRBs), in which a person can cause harm or damage to themselves or their appearance. Other BFRBs include biting the insides of the cheek and nail biting.

Other body focused repetitive behaviors such as compulsive skin picking, compulsive nail biting, cheek biting and nose picking are very similar to trichotillomania in their effect on the family and the sufferer’s self-image. They often co-occur with trichotillomania. These disorders are understood to be similar to trichotillomania and the same treatment approach that is used for trichotillomania is used for these disorders.

Trichotillomania and skin picking disorder

As with trichotillomania, people with skin picking disorder experience some type of distress because of the disorder.
They may feel ashamed because they seem unable to stop themselves from engaging in this harmful behavior
Both hair pulling and skin picking can be done subconsciously, or automatically.  

In the above youtube video, Katie Morton, a licensed marriage and family therapist practicing in Santa Monica, California, discussed the above mentioned trichotillomania similarities on her YouTube channel at about the 6.30 mark. Kati Morton is one of the many therapists enabling people who cannot go to a therapist's office through digital platforms like youtube. Many people cannot, or will not go to a therapist’s office. For them, psychotherapy is not accessible. Here are some reasons that may keep people from getting help.

• A person may be embarrassed, or too uncomfortable to make an appointment with a therapist
• A person may live in a remote area , far from any therapist office
• Scheduling, money, physical challenge, conflicting relationships, or misconceptions keep people from seeking help

Katie Morton is helping a lot of individuals who may also be afraid of seeking face to face help. In her YouTube channel, she talks about mental illness and other disorders such as Trichotillomania and skin picking, she interacts with her audiences by allowing them to send in any questions they have regarding a disorder that they wish to understand and then she addressed them on her YouTube channel. She also provides support on her website and social media pages.